Quad-block or matrix.



- J. L. ROUSSEAU.

' QUAD BLOCK 0R MATRIX.

APPLICATION HLED U V24 19 l5. 1,2313%, Pat-entedJuly 3,1917.

block.

mart an snares arena orator...

JOSEPH LEE ROU'SSEAU, 0F BRGOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSSIGNOR T0 MEBGENTHALEE LINOTYIE'E COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

QUAD-IBLOCK OE MATRIX.

To all whom it may concern:

llc it known that I, Josnrir Len Rotissmc, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Quadlllocks' or Matrices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to slug casting machines, such as linotype machines of the general organization represented in U. S. Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler, No. 436,532, wherein a slug or linotype is cast in a slotted mold against an assembled matrix line which produces the type charae ters thereon. Ordinarily the matrix line is composed of a series of. individual matrices which circulate through the machine, but in some instances it is made u of a single non-circulating matrix known in the art as a quad block, and used particularly for the production of quads, rules, borders, and the like. As noW constructed, the quad block consists of a long body portion similar in cross section to an ordinary matrix and having in its front face a vertically disposed strip or plate containing in its side face the formative cllaracters 0r matrix proper.

In manufacturing the matrix stri it is the practice to rout out its side ace, or more generally speaking, to cut a long groove therein, and then punch or indent i the recuired matrix character in the hottom of the groove. This practice is expensive and besides is unsuitable for certain classes of work. Thus, it is often desired to cast slugs with type characters equal in height to the thickness of the slugs, and this effect cannot be had from the ordinary matrix strip, since the height of the matrix characters therein is and must be less than the width of its groove or routing and consequently less than the width of the mold slot. Uther objections are also present,- for instance, ditliculty is experienced in securing the proper alinement ofthe matrix characters with the mold slot, owing to the clearance which must be allowed toperniit the removal and insertion of the strip in the This difliculty becomes quite pronounced in the case ofvery thin slugs, such as for slender printing rules, which require the. use of a mold with an extremely small width of slot.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented July 3, 191W. 1915. Serial a 41 537.

It is the aim of my present invention to overcome these and other objections and dif- I 9 upon its seat, the filling piece having its.

front face flush with that of the quad block, so as to leave in front of the matrix strip a longitudinal groove corresponding to the ordinary groove or routing of the block but equal in width to the thickness of the strip. In this way, the preliminary routing of the strip is rendered unnecessary, and furthermore the height of the matrix characters thereon may bemade equal to the Width of the routing or that of the mold slot, so that the slug will have its type characters of the same height its thickness. This arrangement of the parts also considerably reduces the cost of manufacture. and in some instances allows the matrix characters to he produced on the strip by machining instead of plumbing. i

In the accompanying drawing 1 have shown my invention merely in preferred form and by way of example, but obviouslv many changes and variations may be made therein which will still be comprised Within its spirit. I desire it to be understood. therefore, that I do not limit myself to any specific form or embodiment, except in so far as such limitations are specified. in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my i1nproved quad block in assembled "form. and ready for use; I

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the matrix strip and filling piece detached from the block;

Fig. 3 is a section taken vertically through the quad block assembled;

Fig. is a detail view; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the quad bloclr equipped with a difl'ercnt form of matrix strip.

Fig. 6 illustrates a modification.

My improved quad block consists as usual of a long body portion A similar in cross section to an m'dinary matrix so as to be sup ported in a linotype machine in the regular way for cooperation with the mold. In.

its front face, the body portion Ais formed with a deep longitudinal recess A Whose lower wall A is straight or fiat and disposed horizontally or atv right angles to 5 the front face of the body portion, while its upper wall A is inwardly beveled or-inclined. Located within the recess A and seated flatly upon the horizontal wall A is a thin matrix strip or plate B having its rear edge fitting tightly up against the rear wall of the recess and formed in its forward edge with a matrix character or characters 13. which may be equal in height to the thickness of the strip. Also located in the recess A 5 is a filling piece C having its front face flush with that of the body portion A and pro-. vided on its bottom side with a longitudinal tongue C engaging in a corresponding groove B in the upper face of the matrix 2 strip B, the opposite side of the piece being beveled so as to engage behind and be held in place by the beveled wall A of the recess. Screws D, threaded through apertures A in the body portion and bearing upon the up- 'per edge of the filling piece, serve to clamp the latter firmly down upon the matrix strip and thus to insure the proper relationship of the several parts.

It will. be noted that the width of the ma- 3 ,trix strip B is slightly less than the depth of the recess A, so that its forward edge, containing the character B, stands behind the. front face of the body portion A and thus provides a longitudinal groove E in front of the matrix character corresponding to the usual routing. Sincethe height of the matrix characterB may-be equal to the thickness of its strip B, it follows that it may also be equal to the full width of the 4'9 groove E well as'that of the mold slot,

so that the slugs produced from the quad block may be as thin as the strip B and -with their type characters of full height, or extending entirelyacross their edges from one side to the other.

Furthermore, the construction of the i uad"block is greatly siniplitied, requiring less accuracy in the manufacture of the parts, and in some cases allowing the formation of the matrix characters by machining instead of punching, as, for

'instance, when the matrix characters are straight cuts, or depressions designed for fancy borders, ornamental work, and the like. In such cases a number of matrix strips ma be arran ed side by side and the matrix characters cut therein at one time.

\V hen it is desired to produce slugs of other thicknesses or with type characters of 1 different designs. the matrix strip 13 is re-. so moved, this being readily permitted by withdrawing the filliiig piece C endwise from the block after loosening the screws D. It will be understood, of course, that the substitution of a thicker matrix plate will also in- 5 volve the use of a narrower filling piece.

Thus, in Fig. 5, the quad block isshown as equipped with a matrix plate F. of con siderably greater thickness than the plate B, requiring the use of a strip G of correspondingly reducedwidth. In other respects the parts are the same as those previously described, the piece G being formed with a longitudinal tongue G fitting in a corresponding groove in. the strip F, and

the latter having its forward edge containing the character F located in the rear of the front face of the quad block so as to leave in front of the character a groove or routing H, equal in width to the-thickness of the strip.

Fig. 6 illustrates a further capability of my improved construction. Here the quad block is equipped with two-matrix plates J and K located in the recess A one upon the other and constituting in eifect a single composite strip, a filling piece L of the necessary width being employed to hold them in place. By thus employing a plurality of strips, it is possible to produce slugs for printing, say wide, or compound border lines, etc. It will be apparent that by removing either one or both of the complementary plates and substituting others of another kind, a. wide range of varied designs may be obtained.

As previously stated, I have shown my invention merely in preferred form and by way of example, and it will be obvious that many modifications and alterations therein will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departure from its scope. For instance, it might also be employed, if it were found desirable. in con-" nection with the construction of the ordinarycirculating matrices instead of a quad block, as illustrated in the drawing.

Having thus described my invention, its construction and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States isas follows:

1. A matrix comprising a body portion formed in its front face with a longitudinal recess having its lower wall straight and horizontally disposed, a matrix strip located in the recess'with its side face seated upon said wall and with its forward edge exthe matrix strip, and clamping screws for I pressing said piece firmly down upon the 7 matrix strip. i

3. A matrix comprising a body portion formed in its front face with a longitudinal and a filling piece also located in the recess above the matrix strip with its front face flush with that of the body portion, said matrix strip and filling piece being interlocked with each other. I

4. A matrix comprising a body portion formed in its front face with a longitudinal recess having its lower wall plain and horizontally disposed, a matrix strip located .in the recess with its side face seated upon said wall and with its forward edge exposed, and a filling piece located in the recess above the matrix strip and having its front face flush with that of the body portion, and the said matrix strip having its forward or operative edge located behind tlie front face of the quad block so as to leave a longitudinal groove at the front thereof, for the purpose described.

5. A matrix comprising a body portion formed in its front face with a recess, a

matrix strip located in the recess and having its forward or operative edge located behind the front face of the body portion, and a filling piece located in the recess with its front face flush with that of the body portion.

6. A matrix comprising a body portion formed in its front face with a recess, av

matrix strip iisposed horizontally in the recess and formed on its forward edge with a character equal in height to the thickness thereof, and a filling piece located in the recess and having its front face flush with that of the body portion.

7. A matrix comprising a body portion formed in its front face with a longitudinal I in) recess having its lower wall straight and horizontally disposed, a matrix strip located in the. recess with its side face seated upon said wall and with its forward edge exposed, and a filling piece also located in the recess above the matrix strip with its front face flush with that of the body portion, the said filling piece and strip being removable at will from the body portion to permit the substitution of other strips; of different designs or thicknesses. 1

S. A matrix comprising the body'portion A formed with the longitudinal recess A whose lower wall A isrstraight and horizontal and whose upper'wall A is beveled or inclined, the matrix strip B having its under face seated upon the lower wall A and formed in its opposite face with the longitudinal groove B and the filling pit-cc formed on its under side with its longitudinal rib C engaging in the groove portion, a plurality of matrix elements lo- .cated in the recess one above another, and a filling piece also located in the recess above the matrix elements with its front face flush with that of the body portion.

10. A matrix comprising a recessed body portion, a plurality of matrix elements located in the recess one above another, and a filling piece also located in the recess to one side of the matrix elements, said elements being removable at will and replaceable by others of difierent designs, for the purpose described.

11. A quad block comprising an elongated integral body portion formed in its front face with a longitudinal recess havingits -1ower wall straight and horizontally disposed, and a relatively thin integral matrix strip equal in length to that of the slug to be cast and seated upon the horizontal wall of said recess in a flatwise position so as to be disposed horizontally in the direction of its width, the said matrix strip having its forward or operative edge located behind the front face of the body portion.

13. A quad block comprising an elongated body portion formed in its front face with a longitudinal recess and a plurality of integral matrix strips equal in length to that of the slug to be cast seated in said recess one above another, in the manner and for the purpose described.

14.. A quad block comprising an elongated body portion formed in its front face with a longitudinal recess and a plurality of integral matrix strips equal in length to that of the slug to becast seated in said recess one 

